How to verify a seller before paying

FirmBrik issues a Verified badge once a seller has completed our identity check (government ID + selfie). It’s on their public profile (e.g./pro/[slug] or /seller/[handle]). An unverified seller isn’t automatically a scammer, but it’s an extra reason to do the rest of these checks carefully.

The recipient name on the seller’s payment channels should match the name on their FirmBrik profile. If a seller named “Jane Doe” asks you to send mobile money to “Quick Cash Trading Ltd”, ask why. Sometimes it’s a real business name, sometimes it’s a money-mule pattern.

Especially for diaspora buyers. A short call ahead of a deposit catches impersonation that text alone can’t. FirmBrik’s messaging keeps the paper trail; the call gives you the human signal.

For land or property, the seller should be able to show you a title deed / certificate of occupancy / lease document. Names on the title should match the seller’s ID. Photograph or scan it; keep a copy. In Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, you can also request a title-search certificate from the local land registry, small fee, usually 1-3 days.

For land especially: drone shots and Google Earth pins lie. If you’re a diaspora buyer, hire a local lawyer or surveyor for a one-off site visit. FirmBrik has a directory of verified professionals if you need to find one.

A contractor should have a portfolio of completed builds. Ask for site addresses you can visit (or video-walk), references from previous clients, and photos of work-in-progress. A contractor who can’t produce any of that is a contractor you’re paying to learn on your build.

FirmBrik supports a deposit + N installments for land, and per-milestone payments for build projects. Both sides win: the buyer never has their whole sum out the door, the seller doesn’t hand over title or completed work without the next tranche. For land: 20-30% deposit on offer-accept, balance on title transfer is typical. For builds: per-milestone, evidence-gated, both-parties-approve.

When you mark a milestone as paid, the seller confirms receipt on their side. If a seller refuses to confirm a payment you can prove you sent (SMS screenshot, bank statement), that’s a signal to stop and call FirmBrik support before continuing. FirmBrik’s record of who-confirmed-what is what we use if we have to mediate.

Common warning signs: pressure to pay quickly (“another buyer is waiting”), refusal to provide documents, sudden change of payment recipient mid-deal, asking you to pay an “administrative fee” outside the milestone schedule. None of these are deal-breakers on their own; all of them together are.